1. Technical Field
This invention relates to small, low power electrical connector assemblies and particularly to fused electrical connector assemblies adapted for use in electrically heated garments.
2. Description
Small, low power electrical connector assemblies are used in a wide variety of applications. One type of application is with electrically heated garments or outerwear. Such connector assemblies are useful for supplying electrical power to a plurality of different areas, or zones, of such a garment and permitting different areas of the garment to be disconnected from use if it is so desired. Examples of garments using various forms of electrical connectors are illustrated and discussed in the following U.S. patents:
______________________________________ U.S. Pat. No. Issued Inventor(s) ______________________________________ 710,429 1902 P. Collins et al. 2,329,766 1943 W. Jacobsen 2,579,383 1951 F. Goudsmit 3,084,241 1963 G. Carrona ______________________________________
Although the connectors disclosed in the above-mentioned U.S. patents provide varying degrees of effectiveness for supplying electrical power to various, independent heating elements of a heated garment, it would nevertheless be desirable both from manufacturing and operability standpoints to have an electrical connector adaptable for use in a heated garment which is readily and easily attachable to the garment material itself, and which also is operable to interrupt current flowing to selected heating elements within the garment.
More specifically, it would be both helpful and cost effective from a manufacturing standpoint if such an electrical connector included means integrally formed with a portion of the connector assembly which would allow the connector to be quickly and easily attached to the fabric of the garment.
From an operations standpoint, it would also be desirable if such a connector for an electrical garment included its own fuse. This could help reduce the chance of shock hazard if the heating element associated with the connector assembly should short out, thereby possibly producing an over-current situation for that particular heating element. Also, if individual heating zones of a garment were separately fused, this would help minimize the impact of short circuit conditions in one zone adversely affecting other zones which are still in operating condition. Thus, it would be useful to provide a connector that included a fuse. It would also be advantageous if the fuse was readily removable and easily replaced in the connector assembly.
It is therefore a principal object of the present invention to provide a connector assembly having wing-like portions capable of being sewably attached by a sewing machine or the like to the fabric of an electrically heated garment.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an electrical connector assembly having a self-contained fuse, with the fuse being capable of quick and easy replacement by the wearer of an electrically heated garment.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an electrical connector assembly capable of being quickly and easily disconnected by the wearer of an electrically heated garment to thereby selectively enable and disable selected heating elements of the garment.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a connector assembly having integrally formed, wing-like portions adapted to facilitate quick and easy attachment to the garment such as by sewing.